Page 40 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

‘They’re here in the back,’ called out Josh, bringing outThe Timesnewspaper to hand over to Stanley. ‘I didn’t want to bring them in here because, well…’ His voice tailed off as he waved his arm around.

‘I meant to say to you how the windows look even better at night,’ carried on Stanley, before looking concerned. ‘Dear me, that came out wrong. What I meant to say was that I was going for a walk yesterday evening and I saw a couple of people walking their dogs and looking at your windows. It looked ever so pretty all lit up.’

‘Do you think so?’ said Amber, blushing. ‘How kind you are to say so.’

Stanley picked up his newspaper. ‘It certainly makes Riverside Lane more cheerful in the dark evenings. Good day to you.’

With a nod, Stanley walked his way back through the shop and out of the front door, the bell ringing out as he left.

‘I think you’ve got an admirer,’ said Josh, waggling his eyebrows at her.

‘Rubbish,’ muttered Amber, hurriedly looking away to the door, where the bell had just rung once more.

‘A bell to announce Belle,’ said Josh, who appeared to be in a very good mood that day, thought Amber.

Belle rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before.’

‘And how are your softly-spoken aunt and uncle today?’ asked Josh, still grinning. ‘Still screaming their love for one another?’

‘If the television wasn’t broken before their argument, it certainly is now!’ Belle blew out a sigh. ‘I’m here for a couple of light bulbs,’ she said. ‘Two of the corner lamps were also casualties in last night’s row.’

‘I’ll have a look out the back for you,’ said Josh. ‘I think there was a box somewhere.’

As he disappeared, Belle leant on the counter and stared around. ‘Is it me or does it look even worse than normal in here?’

‘We’ve just started to reorganise it all so it looks a bit of a mess,’ Amber told her.

‘So you’re staying for a while, I heard,’ said Belle, giving her a friendly smile.

Amber nodded.

‘Well, it’ll be nice to have a bit of female company around here,’ said Belle. ‘Come over to the pub one night and we’ll have a chat over one of my famous gin and tonics. It would be nice to have some female company, to be honest.’

‘Thanks,’ said Amber, as Josh returned holding a large box. ‘I’d like that.’

‘That’s an idea,’ he said, putting the box down on the counter. ‘Poor Amber only has Stanley for company around here.’

‘He’s just lonely,’ muttered Amber, blushing. ‘I’m not sure who else he gets to talk to for the rest of the day.’

‘Stanley does like to chat,’ said Belle, nodding in agreement. ‘He comes into the pub once a week on a Wednesday night. I think he struggles for company since his wife died.’

‘That’s so sad,’ said Amber. ‘He only seems to come in at half past nine each morning.’

‘Maybe it’s his routine that keeps him going,’ said Belle, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Mind you, sometimes he’s the only person I really talk to on a Wednesday night as well.’

It struck Amber that perhaps Stanley wasn’t the only lonely person in the village. Even someone as confident as Belle appeared to struggle for companionship.

‘Any ideas which type you want?’ said Josh, rattling the contents of the box.

Belle peered inside. ‘Those two,’ she said, reaching in to pick out a couple of light bulbs. ‘Right, how much do I owe you?’

Once she had paid up, Belle pocketed the two bulbs.

‘Don’t forget about that gin,’ she said, smiling at Amber before she headed towards the door. ‘By the way, the windows look great. Didn’t recognise the place when I saw them.’

‘Not sure I recognise it myself these days,’ said Josh, as Belle closed the door behind her. He looked around the mess. ‘I think we’ve made it worse not any better.’

Amber thought about what Stanley had said about the people out and about in the evening. ‘By the way, why don’t you open a bit later each night?’